Preview: Cowboys Look to Ground the Hawks on Turkey Day

The Thanksgiving day tradition of the Dallas Cowboys playing hosts is as usual back on in 2008, and this year the 7-4 Cowboys play host to the underachieving 2-9 Seattle Seahawks on Thursday afternoon. The Cowboys are starting to find their stride again, as they have won two in a row since the return of Tony Romo at the QB spot, and Sunday it was Romo’s play and the big-plays of Terrell Owens that led the Cowboys to a 35-22 win over the Niners.

As for the Seahawks, they have been beaten up all season by injuires as well as poor play from players they felt were going to be able to step up and help defend their NFC West title. Instead, the team looks as if they are going to simply play out the final five games, and likely send coach Mike Holmgren off with his worst season as a head coach in his possible Hall of Fame career.

Romo is 9-3 as a starter at Texas Stadium, and he and the team seem to just play a lot more confident at home than they do away from their stadium. The last two Thanksgiving Day games Romo has played in he’s won, and this time he’s playing a defense that he should be able to throw against all day long. Owens also should have another big day, as no one on the Hawks can match up with him.

Seattle does have starting QB Matt Hasselbeck back, but he’s been below average at best in his first two games since his return. He threw three picks vs the Cardinals two weeks ago, and against the Skins on Sunday, he was just 12-for-24 for 103 yards, two TD’s and two picks. His play is on tap with the rest of the team that has letdown the fan base in Seattle.

The Hawks are 31st in the league in total offense, and in two games with Hasselbeck have gained just 424 yards. There is no reason to think here that much is going to turn around for them, that is unless they can open things up. The Hawks O-line is also banged up, as they could be missing up to three starters.

Look for Dallas to have a rather easy afternoon doing as they please on both sides of the ball against Seattle. It’ll be a long day for the Hawks, while the Cowboys move ever closer to a wild card spot in the NFC.